Ginger Ale / Ginger Beer

Source: Magazine

Ingredients:

Ginger – 1 cup (grated)

Water – 2 cups
Sugar – 1 cup

Black Pepper – 1tsp

Lemon Zest - few

Preparation:

Wash and peel ginger and  grate it using a grater. Take a bowl  add 2cups of water, black pepper, lemon zest & bring this to boil.  Boil this for 10 minutes & switch off the flame and let it sit for 20 to 30 mins. Then strain this using a strainer.

Pour this into the sauce pan. Add  sugar and boil this again. Mix well so that the sugar is dissolved. Now the ginger syrup is done. Allow this to cool down and store in bottle. Keep it refrigerated.

To make ginger ale, take a glass pour some ginger syrup ( 3 to 4 tsp) then squeeze some lemon juice and pour water mix well, put some ice cubes & serve.

Enjoy the drink…………..

Spicy dry chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken  - 1kg

Onion – 2 medium size

Tomato – 1 small

Ginger, garlic paste – 2 tsp

Red chili powder – 2 tsp

Kashmiri chili powder –  2 to 3 tsp (This is optional)

Coriander powder – 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric powder  - ¼ tsp

Black pepper  - 1tbs ( nicely crushed

Curry leaves – 1 twig

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 to 3 tbs

Preparation:

Clean and cut the chicken into small pieces &  marinate it with the  red chili powder, salt, coriander powder, turmeric &  Kashmiri chili powder. Keep it for half an hour.  Heat a pan  add oil and sauté ginger garlic paste & the sliced onion till it turns light brown and  add chopped tomato into it. Roast it till it turns soft. Then add the marinated chicken and combine it well with sautéed onion and tomatoes. Cook it in medium flame  without adding water. When it is half done, add the curry leaves and  mix well. Cover and cook till it turns soft. Remove the lid and stir till it turns dry and well coated with the masala.

Serve with rice, chapathi

                                                                         Onam

Onam is a festival celebrated by the people of Kerala in India. The festival takes place in the month of August-September.  In Malayalam this month is called as Chinga masam.  Pookkalam (flower decoration), is an important part of Onam festival. Pookkalam is put in front of  every house to welcome King Mahabali.   

                                                                      Pookalam

Carrot Payasam

Ingredients:

Carrot – 3 no’s

Milk – 2 ½  cups

Condensed milk – 2 tbs

Sugar – ¾ cup

Ghee – 2tbs

Cardamom – 4 no’s

Saffron strands - few

Pistachios -  few

Preparation:

Wash the carrots, peel the skin off  and chop it.   Heat a pan, add  1 tbs ghee  & add the chopped carrots to the pan and fry for 5 mins. The color will change slightly at this stage add 1 cup of milk and boil the carrot.  Then grind the carrots along with sugar in a blender into a smooth paste and keep aside.

Boil the remaining milk  on low flame for 15 to 20 minutes, add condensed milk and stir occasionally, finally add saffron strands and switch off the flame.  Now add the  carrot puree to the milk and mix well. Garnish with fried pistachios and serve chilled.

Beetroot Cake

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Butter -  1 ½ stick
Sugar - 2 cups
Egg - 4 no's
Beetroot - 3 small
Chocolate syrup - 1 to 2 tbs
Baking powder - 2tsp
Salt a pinch

Preparation:
Take a large bowl add butter and sugar into it and beat till smooth with cake mixer. Then add eggs and beat until fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder & salt and add to this along with chocolate syrup. Blend  all the ingredients to get a smooth batter.  Finally add beetroot & mix well. Preheat the oven to 350 degree c. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and bake. When it is done, remove cake from oven, and allow it to cool, cut into slices and serve.

Plantain chips

Ingredients:

Raw banana  -  3 no's

Turmeric powder  - 1 tbs

Salt  - 1 ½ tsp  

Water  - 2 cups

Oil for frying  (I used vegetable oil)

Preparation:

Remove the top and bottom portion of the banana and make a long slit on the skin with a knife and peel the skin.  In a large bowl add water, turmeric powder, salt.  Slice it into thin round slices into the turmeric & salt water for 30 minutes.  Then drain the sliced pieces nicely and dry in a kitchen tissue.

Heat a heavy bottom pan with oil in a medium flame and slide the sliced plantain pieces into the oil & deep fry the slices till the sizzling sound stops.  Keep stirring occasionally.  To see whether its done take one  and crush it, if its crispy then its done. If it is soft then fry again until it attains crispy.

Take it from the oil and drain it on an absorbent paper. Fry the rest of the banana slices the same way.

Store it in an air tight container after cooling. Serve it as snack or can have with steamed rice also.

Cucumber parippu curry

Ingredients:

Cucumber – 1 cup

Moong dal – ½ cup

Onion – 1 small

Coconut – ½ cup

Curry leaves – 1 twig

Green chili – 1 or 2

Turmeric powder -  ¼ tsp

Red chili powder – ¼ tsp

Asafetida/Hing - a pinch

Oil – 1tbs

Salt as required

Preparation:

Pressure cook the dal, cucumber, onion, green chili, turmeric powder, red chilli powder & salt  with just enough water. Let it cook for 3 whistles.  Meanwhile grind the grated coconut and keep aside. When the steam vends out, open the cooker and pour the  ground coconut paste, mix well. Heat a kadai (pan) adding oil, when it heats up add curry leaves & hing and transfer to the curry.

Serve with  steamed rice. Potato fry will be nice combination for this.